Does AI Serve the Greater Good? Exploring Drawbacks and Opportunities of Consumer AI-Experiences
(A2025-125503)

AUTHORS

David Finken, ETH Zurich - Chair of Technology Marketing; Ksenia Sergueeva, State University of New York at New Paltz; Melanie Clegg, University of Lausanne; Tim Doering, Maastricht University

ABSTRACT

As Artificial Intelligence (AI) advances, it fundamentally reshapes society intending to benefit consumers by improving their experiences across various domains. AI's impact is profound, from enhancing productivity and personalizing shopping recommendations to AI-driven generative processes for product creation, and even fulfilling roles as social companions. While these innovations provide convenience and efficiency, they also come with important caveats, particularly regarding its broader societal implications. What are some potential drawbacks of this technological integration, and how can we understand and address them? The four papers in this session shed light on the various inquiries across different contexts and perspectives. Authors use generative AI technology and a series of controlled online, lab, and field experiments to improve understanding and potentially anticipate our future. The first three papers explore human-AI interaction from the user’s perspective, revealing negative and positive consumer responses to AI. While AI elicits negative reactions in the context of AI-generated art and self-programming AI, it also has the potential to promote sustainable consumption. In contrast, the last paper takes an observer’s perspective, revealing consumer caution towards AI users in a social context, which may strain social connections. Overall, this session highlights AI's drawbacks and opportunities for business and society, emphasizing the need to address complex issues surrounding AI to enhance our future. The opening paper examines consumer reactions to self-programming agents, an advanced form of Generative AI. Five studies demonstrate that despite their promise of productivity and efficiency, these agents evoke negative responses as consumers perceive them as a societal threat, reducing attitudes toward adoption. The second paper investigates the impact of AI-based recommenders on consumers’ preference for sustainable products. Four studies show that shopping with AI (vs. human) recommenders activates a future-oriented mindset, leading to more sustainable consumption. The third paper examines differences in perceived meaning between AI-generated and human-generated artwork. Five studies show that AI (vs. human) generated art is viewed as less meaningful due to a lower perceived intentional stance, which reduces its monetary value. The closing paper explores the influence of AI-based social companions on human-to-human connections from an observer perspective. Eight studies demonstrate that people are less inclined to interact with those who engage with AI-based (vs. real) companions due to perceived deficiencies in social skills. These papers offer a nuanced exploration of AI’s increasing integration into society, highlighting its drawbacks and potential opportunities. Given the content, the session should appeal to a broad audience – including scholars interested in human-technology interactions, consumer psychology, sustainability, and cultural value creation. Aligned with the conference theme of Human and Smart Marketing: Understanding and Enhancing Our Future, the session offers pivotal insights into navigating the complexities of human-AI interactions and advancing responsible AI adoption.